Cable centering arrangement for cable shortener device

ABSTRACT

A cable alignment device for longitudinally centering the cable or line extending two ways from a cable shortener device, comprising: an oblong base having a central portion for rotative receipt of the cable shortener device; a first leg and a second leg on the oblong base; and a cable alignment channel in the first leg and the second leg of the oblong base, the alignment channel arranged for receipt of the cable therein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a cable or line alignment device for cable shorteners, and more particularly to a centering arrangement for cable shorteners.

2. Discussion of Prior Art

U.S. Pat. No. 7,229,043, to Pitcher, discloses a hanging cable shortener arrangement, which patent is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. That cable shortener apparatus permitted the length adjustment of a cable or line such as a drawn plastic filament, wire or the like, having a certain incompressible diameter. That cable was arranged to support a sign from an overhead support. That cable shortener works well, but the cable extends from the shortener device in a generally tangential manner, which is aesthetically undesirable.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a centering arrangement for the aforementioned cable shortener to improve its appearance during use, and to retain the ease of adjustment of such cable or line with the original shortener device.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a cable centering arrangement for a cable shortener device. The cable shortener device comprises an annular hub having a pair of opposed annular flanges which defines an annular channel therebetween. Such a cable shortener device is shown in reference to U.S. Pat. No. 7,229,043, incorporated herein by reference. The cable centering arrangement or device comprises an elongated base member having a first end and a second end. An annular flange or bearing member extends off of one side of the oblong base from a midpoint thereof. The first end and the second end each comprise a first leg and a second leg respectively. Each leg has a lower surface which extends from the oblong base of the cable centering arrangement. The first leg and the second leg each have an upper surface. The lower surface and the upper surface are spaced apart and define between them a cable alignment channel. The cable alignment channel on the first leg and on the second leg are both open to the same side of the cable centering arrangement. The cable alignment channel in the first leg and in the second leg each have a bridging surface which are in longitudinal alignment with one another and with the center of the annular bearing of the cable centering device.

In operation of the assembly of the annular hub and the cable shortener device, an elongated cable or line, such as for example, a drawn plastic filament, a wire or the like, is attachable at one end thereof to an overhead support and attachable and its other end to an object such as a sign for support thereof from the overhead, is wrapped at least one complete time around the annular hub and within the annular channel thereof

The annular hub of the cable shortening device is rotatably mated with the annular bearing of the cable centering arrangement, wherein one end of the cable wrapped around the cable shortening device is passed into the cable alignment slot in the first leg of the alignment device and the second or other end of the cable is passed into second or other leg of the cable alignment device through the second cable alignment slot therein.

The entire assembly may be slid along the length of the elongated cable with the annular hub rotating correspondingly around the annular bearing of the centering device so as to provide proper visual appearance of the shortener relative to a further adjacent assembly and to any sign or object being supported from the overhead support.

The invention thus comprises a cable alignment device for longitudinally centering the cable extending two ways from a cable shortener device, comprising: an oblong base having a central portion for rotative receipt of the cable shortener device; a first leg and a second leg on the oblong base; and a cable alignment channel in the first leg and the second leg of the oblong base, the alignment channel arranged for receipt of the cable therein. Each alignment channel is preferably in longitudinal alignment with the center of the cable shortener arranged on the base of the alignment device. The central portion of the oblong base has an annular bearing extending therefrom. The cable alignment device slidably receives a cable from the cable shortener preferably through both of the alignment channels.

The invention also comprises a cable shortener and cable alignment assembly, comprising: a cable shortener rotatively supported on a bearing base of a cable alignment device; a cable wrapped around an annular channel on the cable shortener device supported on the bearing, the cable extending slidably through a cable alignment channel arranged on each end of the cable alignment device, wherein the cable is maintained in longitudinal alignment with the center of the cable shortener. The bearing on the cable alignment device preferably comprises an annular sleeve on which the shortener device is rotatively supported. The cable shortener rotates with respect to the elongated cable alignment device and hub on which it is mounted, when the assembly is slid longitudinally along the cable or line.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent when viewed in conjunction with the following drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the centering device of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cable shortener device as may also be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 7,229,043;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cable shortener device mounted on the cable centering device;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the upper surface of the cable centering device;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the left side of the cable centering device shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the right side of the cable centering device shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is an end view of the first end of the cable centering device shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is an end view of the second end of the cable centering device shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the lower surface of the cable centering device shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the centering device with a sectional line drawn longitudinally therethrough;

FIG. 11 is a view taken along the lines a-a shown in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the cable shortener device with a cable wrapped up therearound;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the cable shortener device shown in FIG. 12, with the hub mounted onto the cable alignment device;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the cable shortener device shown in FIG. 13 with one end of the cable being fed through the cable alignment slot at the first end of the cable alignment device;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the cable shortener device shown in FIG. 14, with the second end of the cable being fed through the cable alignment slot in the second end of the cable alignment device;

FIG. 16 is a side elevation view of a pair of the cable shortener devices being supported from an overhead support, having a lower end of their cables being attached to a sign; and

FIG. 17 is a side elevation view of the pair of cable shortener devices shown in FIG. 16, wherein the respective cable shortener devices are both supported within a cable alignment device, each of the cables extending from the longitudinal axis of the cable shortener device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown the present invention which comprises a cable centering arrangement or device 50 for a cable shortener device 52, as represented in FIG. 2. The cable shortener device 52 comprises an annular hub 54 having a pair of opposed annular flanges 56 which define an annular channel 58 therebetween. Such a cable shortener device 52 is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,229,043, incorporated herein by reference. The cable centering arrangement or device 50 comprises an elongated base member 60 having a first end 62 and a second end 64, as may be seen in FIGS. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 13-15.

An annular flange or bearing member 66 extends off of one side of the oblong base 60 from a midpoint thereof, as shown in FIG. 1. The first end 62 and the second end 64 each comprise a first leg 68 and a second leg 70 respectively. Each leg 68 and 70 has a lower surface 72 which is extends from the oblong base 60 of the cable centering arrangement 50. The first leg 62 and the second leg 64 each have an upper surface 74. The lower surface 72 and the upper surface 74 are spaced apart and define between them a cable alignment channel 76, as may be seen in FIGS. 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13, 14 and 15. The cable alignment channel 76 on the first leg 62 and on the second leg 64 are preferably both open to the same side of the cable centering arrangement, as may be seen in FIG. 1. The cable alignment channel 76 in the first leg 62 and in the second leg 64 each have an elongated curvilinear bridging surface 80, best seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, which curvilear surfaces 80 are each in longitudinal alignment with one another and with the center “C” of the annular bearing of the cable centering device 50, as may be seen in FIG. 4.

In operation of the assembly of the annular hub 66 and the cable shortener device 52, an elongated cable or line “E”, which is attachable at one end 82 thereof to an overhead support 84 and attachable and its other end to an object such as a sign 86, as represented in FIGS. 16 and 17, for support thereof from the overhead support 84, is wrapped at least one complete time around the annular hub 66 and within the annular channel 58 thereof.

The annular bearing 66 of the cable centering arrangement 50 is mated concentrically onto the hub 54 of the cable shortening device 52, as represented in FIG. 13, wherein one end of the cable has already been wrapped around the channel 58, as shown in FIG. 12, the cable “E” being passed into the cable alignment slot 76 in the one leg 64 or 62 of the alignment device 50, as represented in FIG. 14, and the second end of the cable “E” is passed into the other leg 62 or 64 of the cable alignment device 50 through the second cable alignment slot 76 therein as represented in FIG. 15.

The entire assembly 50 and 52 may be slid longitudinally along the length of the elongated cable “E” with the annular hub 54 rotating correspondingly around the annular bearing 66 of the centering device 50 so as to provide proper visual appearance of the shortener relative to a further adjacent assembly 50 and 52 and to any sign 86 or object being supported from the overhead support 84, as represented in FIG. 17. FIG. 16 shows the cable shortener 52 in use supporting a sign 86 from an overhead support 84 without the alignment device 50 being utilized therewith. 

1. An elongated cable alignment device for longitudinally centering a cable or line extending two ways from a cable shortener device, comprising: an oblong base having a central portion for rotative receipt of the cable shortener device; a first leg and a second leg on opposite ends of the oblong base of the elongated cable alignment device; and a cable alignment channel in the first leg and in the second leg of the oblong base, the alignment channel arranged for receipt of the cable or line therein.
 2. The cable alignment device as recited in claim 1, wherein each alignment channel is in longitudinal alignment with the center of a cable shortener arranged on the base of the alignment device.
 3. The cable alignment device as recited in claim 1, wherein the central portion of the oblong base has an annular bearing extending therefrom.
 4. The cable alignment device as recited in claim 1, wherein the cable alignment device slidably receives a cable or line from the cable shortener through both of the alignment channels.
 5. A cable shortener and cable alignment assembly, comprising: a cable shortener rotatively supported on a bearing on a base of an elongated cable alignment device; a cable or line wrapped around an annular channel on the cable shortener device supported on the bearing of the elongated cable alignment device, the cable extending slidably through a cable alignment channel arranged on each end of the elongated cable alignment device, wherein the cable is maintained in general longitudinal alignment with the center of the cable shortener and the elongated cable alignment device.
 6. The cable shortener and cable alignment assembly as recited in claim 5, wherein the bearing on the cable alignment device comprises an annular sleeve on which the shortener device is rotatively supported.
 7. The cable shortener and cable alignment assembly as recited in claim 6, wherein the cable shortener rotates with respect to the elongated cable alignment device, when the assembly is slid longitudinally along the cable. 